Diary, September 8-12, 1918

Sept. 8. Sun. at 1 oc. am. dog tired, soaking wet - nearly frozen. with a rainsoaked equip that weighs a ton. damn but I feel fine. finaly got a dry place to sleep in sig office. got up and relieved colored troops on visual post. got my location, on the memoriable hill 304, where thousands were killed in 1914 on the Verdun Sector. The Germans are to the north of us - one great castle in ruins to our front that Jerry holds. The noted Argonne [Fores]t sector to our left, a german berrier almost impossible to be taken by any means of seige. at the foot of hill 308 is the town of Esnes. leveled to the ground as the surrounding towns are. To our rear on the horizon is Verdun. 3 old forts guarding the place are distinguishable from my. observitory. The negroes are a jolly good bunch of fellows. A great tunnel leads off into the hill from under our dugout which is at least 40 ft. underground. rats, big ones, are in abundance. The village at the base of this hill has a beautiful cemetary, which is shelled to pieces, tombstones shattered, crucifix broken in pieces. All the trees are just stubs, nothing alive for sq. miles. Jove even the dead cannot rest in peace.

Sept. 9 Mon. At noon eat dinner on the little table on our front porch. 4 of us had a great time. In afternoon went up on hill 304, Such a place, shell holes link from the beginning to the end of the whole hill, trenches wiped out, wire entanglement torn to shreads. such a place I never thot existed. Strong and I were together. our front lines are on top of hill, new trenches and wire just put in recently. Can see where they have dug thru bodies and dugouts in putting in new trenches. I got a jaw bone & some teeth; Strong got a piece of skull. We were looking at the ruins out in nomans land. We are going out there again the first chance we get. Jerry is shelling us quite a bit at supper time. no damage done more than has been done.

Sept. 10-Tue-Has been raining most of today. rec letters; Maude Aug 8 - Cecil Aug 11 - Pearl Aug 4 - Stella Aug 7. Got our stove up in our dugout. ate 2 meals by it. Jove it sure feels fine. got word I was to be transfered. there damned kind to me. get settled & then have to move.

Sept 11 - Wed rained all day. wrote more to Mother, Cecil, & Maude. [The following is written in different ink.] (10 - Cecils birthday found out later)

Sept 12 Thur rained all day [dittoed from previous day]